Let’s Talk About the Nominative Case (aka the Friendly One)

If Czech cases were a group of friends, nominative would be the chill one. The one you meet first and keep coming back to. It’s simple, reliable, and it always shows up in your dictionary.

So, welcome to the start of your Czech case journey. And trust me: if you can get comfy with the nominative, you’re building the strongest foundation possible.

What Is the Nominative Case?

The nominative (in Czech: nominativ, 1. pád) is the basic form of a noun (the one you’ll find in the dictionary).

It’s used for the subject of the sentence – the thing or person that’s doing the action.

Ask yourself: Kdo? Co? – “Who?” “What?”

Examples

• Student píše. – “The student is writing.”

• Kočka spí. – “The cat is sleeping.”

• Auto stojí před domem. – “The car is parked in front of the house.”

You don’t need any special prepositions or fancy grammar tricks here. Nominative is your starting point.

But Wait – What’s the Gender?

Here’s the catch. To work with the nominative case, you also need to know the gender of the noun (rod in Czech). Czech nouns come in three genders:

• Masculine (muž, stůl) = mužský rod (m.)

• Feminine (žena, kniha) = ženský rod (ž.)

• Neuter (město, auto) = střední rod (s.)

Gender determines how the noun will change in other cases. So, learning the nominative + gender = essential grammar life skill.

Pro tip: When you learn a new word, always note the gender.

Like this:

• Stůl (m.)

• Kniha (f.)

• Auto (n.)

Want to Check Declensions?

Use this magical link to Internetová jazyková příručka. Just type the word you want to decline into the search field Slovníková část and press Hledej.

How to search for a Czech word declension on Internetová jazyková příručka

It’s an amazing Czech grammar reference. You can type in any noun (like kniha) and it will show you all the forms of the word across all seven cases, in both singular and plural.

Searching for the noun “kniha” on Internetová jazyková příručka

Why the Nominative Is Worth Mastering

You’ll need it to:

• Talk about people, animals, and things

• Make basic sentences

• Build vocabulary (this is your dictionary form!)

• Know how nouns will behave in other cases

Want Help with All 7 Cases?

The nominative may be simple, but the rest? Not so much.

That’s why I created the Czech Cases Cheat Sheet. A super-friendly, easy-to-print PDF that explains all 7 Czech cases.

It includes:

• Case-by-case breakdowns

• Common verbs and prepositions

• Questions for each case

• Mini habits and tips for mastering them

• A one-page printable reference table

Understanding Czech Cases Is the First Step of Learning Them

Did you also feel like quitting Czech the moment you heard about the seven cases?
What the heck is that?!

The struggle is real. Especially if your native language has just one form of a word (maybe you add an “s” sometimes, but that’s about it).

When you’re just starting out, I believe it’s more important to understand why Czech cases exist than to memorize all their forms. That’s what this post is about.

Ready?

Why Does Czech Even Have Cases?

In Czech, word order is flexible. But how do Czechs know who is doing what to whom?

That’s where cases come in.

Instead of relying on sentence position like in English, Czech uses word endings to mark the role of each noun in the sentence. Subject, object, direction, location, cause all of that is packed into the ending of the word. Wild, right?

Example time:

In English, “The dog bit the man” is very different from “The man bit the dog.” Switch the order, and you’ve got a headline.

But in Czech? You could say:

Pes kousl muže.

or

Muže kousl pes.

…and it still means “The dog bit the man.”
The word endings make it clear who did the biting and who got bitten (sorry, man).

Word endings in Czech matter…

So you can completely change the word order in a Czech sentence, and it’ll still make sense because the endings do the job. It’s not just grammar. It’s grammar with superpowers.

So What Are the 7 Cases?

The full explanation would be a whole book (and don’t worry, you don’t need to learn them all at once), but here’s a super-quick overview:

1. Nominative – Who/What (the subject of the sentence)

2. Genitive – Of whom/what (possession or negation)

3. Dative – To whom/what (the receiver)

4. Accusative – Whom/what (the direct object)

5. Vocative – Calling someone (“Hey, Tomáš!”)

6. Locative – About whom/what, where something is (used with prepositions)

7. Instrumental – With whom/what (tool, company, means)

Each one has its own set of endings and is triggered by certain verbs or prepositions.

Sounds like a lot? Yeah. That’s why I made a cheat sheet.

How to Master Czech Cases (Without Going Crazy)

Learning 7 Czech cases can feel overwhelming... but it doesn’t have to be. Use the power of tiny, consistent habits to make progress every single day. Here’s how:

Focus on One Case at a Time

Don’t try to learn everything in one week. Pick one case and make it your buddy for the next 7 days.

Let’s say it’s the Dative. Spend the whole week looking out for it. Using it. Making it feel familiar.

Use Micro-Routines

Attach your case learning to things you already do daily:

• Morning: Say one sentence out loud using the case of the week
  → “Dám čaj kamarádovi.” (Dative)

• During work: Write a message or email in Czech with it intentionally
  → “Mluvím o projektu.” (Locative)

• At the store: Think in Accusative
  → “Mám peníze. Kupuju kávu.”

It doesn’t have to be perfect — just regular.

Make Flashcards Fun

Create 3 flashcards for each case:

• The question (e.g. Komu? Čemu?)

• One model sentence

• 3 useful verbs or prepositions

Review them while waiting in line, on the tram, or during your coffee break. Short, sweet, and sticky.

Use a Habit Tracker

Draw a simple 7-day grid. Each day you use the case in speech, reading, or writing and check it off ✅

Celebrate consistency, not perfection.

Reward Yourself

Used the Locative 5 days this week? Watch your favorite Czech movie.
Have a Czech beer. Take a guilt-free break.

Reinforce the habit with a little joy. You earned it.

Want a Shortcut?

I’ve put together a printable Czech Cases Cheat Sheet to guide you through all 7 cases with examples, prepositions, verbs, questions, and learning tips.

It’s clear, friendly, and ready to help you crack the case system once and for all.

Check out the cheat sheet here

You’ll finally stop dreading Czech grammar and start using it.